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Pastor's Blog June 4, 2020
"The Test of Discipleship I"
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In "Steps to Christ," Ellen makes two clear statements about Christlikeness: "The loveliness of the character of Christ will be seen in His followers" (40; 1977 edition); and "Here is the true test. If we abide in Christ, if the love of God dwells in us, our feelings, our thoughts, our purposes, our actions, will be in harmony with the will of God as expressed in the precepts of His holy law" (41). Whether you realize it or not, it is between these two statements that the entire Christian life is lived. And the reason this is true is due to what these two statements address.
On the one hand, those who have come to faith in Jesus will have also come to see that nothing they have done, will do, or are presently doing can save them; not one ounce of keeping God's commandments or doing good deeds will ever get them to heaven or persuade God that they are worthy of being saved, because none of us can perfectly keep God's commandments - our sinfulness precludes that possibility (40).
On the other hand, those who have come to faith in Jesus will have also found that the faith and trust they put in Jesus is a gift they have received from him; just as they can't obey God's will in-and-of-themselves, so believers cannot perfectly trust in Jesus or keep faith with Jesus in-and-of-themselves (40-41). God wants to restore our relationship with him, and the only kind of RIGHT relationship that can exist between God and us is one of obedience (40). But we can never create or muster up obedience on our own, it can only come to us as a gift from God - only God can give us obedience (40-41)! Likewise, only obedience that springs from love is REAL obedience; if anything we do does not come from perfect love for God, then it's not truly obedience (40).
So how do you know you're being obedient? How do you know you really love Jesus? The answer is found in abiding in Jesus - literally staying in and with Jesus (41). Spend copious amounts of time with Jesus, not to get something from him (e.g., righteousness or obedience) but to simply learn to love him. Let Jesus take care of molding your character, making you obedient, and turning you into a more loving person. What he wants YOU to do, friends, is stop trying to be in control and simply spend time with him and learn to love him.
(*) Steps to Christ, Chapter 7—The Test of Discipleship, 1977 edition
God Bless.
Pastor Nathaniel Gamble
